KSC-2011-1829

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This image taken through a winding and storage device on Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, shows crew members in a skiff attaching flotation devices, or buoys to the parachute lines from the left spent booster after space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky